Giants receiver Victor Cruz says the Redskins are on the rise but not yet a top contender.Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger

The Redskins are two games behind the Giants in the NFC East standings with five games to play, and they have a chance to narrow that gap at home Monday night.

And after their Thanksgiving night win at Dallas, the Redskins are viewed as the Giants' top challenger in the division. Giants receiver Victor Cruz agreed, but added that he doesn't think they have quite enough to earn the division crown just yet.

"They’re still a couple pieces away from actually being a contender, them being in legitimate talks for playoffs and things like that," Cruz said today on a conference call. "They’re still a few pieces away whether it be defensively or wherever they are missing some pieces. But I think they’ve definitely -- they’ve got to be in the conversation. They’ve got a good team, they play good football, they hold the ball for a long time, and they really do some good things. So I definitely put them in that conversation, for sure."

Cruz labeled the Redskins as a team on the rise, and said it all starts with quarterback Robert Griffin III.

While the Redskins may be missing a few pieces in Cruz's opinion, he thinks the Giants have what they need this year to make some noise down the stretch and possibly defend their Super Bowl title.

"We're still the same team from last year," he said. "We have the same pieces in place, and we have the same mindset, we have the same coaching, the same type of development, and I think we’re in a prime position to make another push for the playoffs and another push for the Super Bowl."